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Yes, it's December 27th and I'm late for the Christmas recipe party. It's a miracle that I managed to pull off making all of the traditional German recipes that my Mutti would serve her children for decades. Just an hour before our traditional Christmas Eve dinner was to begin, I was cleaning powdered sugar off my kitchen floor, I had bowls of leftover melted white chocolate and dark chocolate and I had just finished making these cookies:
I had carefully cultivated several Christmas cookie and candy recipes on my Pinterest boards, a few weeks before Christmas. I had a game plan. I was going to make cookies dough each weeknight, after a long day at the office. I had a box of full of Christmas recipe ingredients-- chips, nuts,…
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.%20%20I%20swear%20by%20Baker's%20Joy%20non-stick%20spray,%20which%20proved%20to%20be%20my%20hero.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20make%20marshmallows,%20you%20need%20unflavored%20gelatin,%20corn%20syrup,%20sugar%20and%20ice%20water.%20From%20there,%20you%20can%20have%20carte%20blanc%20with%20flavors.%20For%20Christmas,%20obviously,%20I%20went%20with%20peppermint.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThe%20first%20step%20is%20to%20%22bloom%22%203%20packets%20of%20unflavored%20gelatin%20with%20ice%20cold%20water.%20%20While%20the%20gelatin%20is%20doing%20it's%20thing,%20you%20need%20to%20make%20the%20syrup.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIn%20a%20pot,%20with%20a%20lid,%20add%20sugar,%20water%20and%20corn%20syrup.%20%20Cook,%20lid%20on,%20for%20a%20few%20minutes%20and%20then%20remove%20the%20lid%20and%20insert%20a%20candy%20thermometer.%20Lightly%20boil%20until%20it%20reaches%20240F.%20%20Need%20I%20say%20that%20you%20want%20to%20be%20very%20careful,%20as%20this%20is%20as%20hot%20as%20napalm?%20(Alton's%20words.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOnce%20the%20syrup%20reaches%20240F,%20remove%20from%20heat.%20%20The%20gelatin%20looks%20hardened,%20and%20I%20turned%20on%20the%20mixer%20(with%20whisk%20attachment)%20on%20low.%20Very%20carefully,%20and%20slowly,%20pour%20the%20syrup%20down%20the%20side%20of%20the%20mixing%20bowl.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EOnce%20you%20have%20added%20all%20of%20the%20syrup,%20increase%20the%20speed%20to%20high.%20Continue%20to%20whip%20until%20the%20mixture%20becomes%20very%20thick%20and%20is%20lukewarm,%20approximately%2012%20to%2015%20minutes.%20You'll%20know%20the%20marshmallow%20is%20ready,%20because%20it%20looks%20visibly%20thick--%20and%20I%20can%20see%20it%20separating%20from%20the%20sides%20of%20the%20bowl.%20Be%20sure%20that%20you%20have%20your%20prepared%20baking%20dish%20ready%20to%20go.%20%20Have%20an%20off-set%20spatula%20and%20regular%20spatula%20ready,%20sprayed%20with%20non-stick%20spray%20right%20next%20to%20it.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EPour%20the%20marshmallow%20into%20the%20prepared%20baking%20pan.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ESpread%20evenly...%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EIf%20desired,%20place%20random%20drops%20of%20red%20food%20color%20all%20over%20the%20top%20and%20swirl%20with%20a%20toothpick.%20When%20finished,%20sift%20powdered%20sugar%20on%20top,%20cover%20tightly%20with%20foil%20and%20gently%20shake%20sideways%20and%20up%20and%20down%20to%20coat.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EHere's%20one%20of%20my%20%22fail%22%20moments.%20I%20forgot%20to%20add%20the%20red%20color.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20took%20a%20chance%20and%20added%20the%20red%20food%20color,%20on%20top%20of%20the%20powdered%20sugar--%20but%20it%20wasn't%20pretty.%20%20Soooooo,%20I%20quickly%20made%20a%20second%20batch%20using%20a%20glass%20baking%20dish.%20(The%20disadvantage%20of%20a%20glass%20baking%20dish,%20are%20the%20round%20corners.%20I%20just%20reserved%20those%20for%20myself,%20to%20enjoy.)%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20had%20no%20problems%20removing%20the%20marshmallows.%20I%20simply%20lifted%20the%20entire%20piece%20onto%20a%20cutting%20board,%20lightly%20dusted%20with%20powdered%20sugar.%20%20I%20used%20a%20very%20sharp%20knife,%20coated%20with%20non-stick%20spray%20(you%20could%20use%20a%20pizza%20cutter)%20and%20cut%20my%20marshmallows.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3ETo%20keep%20the%20marshmallows%20from%20sticking%20to%20one%20another,%20I%20dipped%20each%20side%20in%20the%20baking%20dish%20to%20coat%20with%20powdered%20sugar.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20melted%20Belgian%20dark%20chocolate%20(from%20Trader%20Joe's)%20in%20a%20glass%20bowl,%20set%20over%20a%20pot%20of%20barely%20simmering%20water%20(making%20sure%20that%20the%20bottom%20of%20the%20bowl%20never%20touches%20the%20water).%20%20I%20found%20cake%20pop%20sticks%20at%20a%20crafts%20store,%20and%20dipped%20them%20lightly%20in%20chocolate,%20then%20inserted%20them%20into%20a%20marshmallow.%20%20I%20then%20dipped%20the%20bottom%20of%20each%20marshmallow%20in%20chocolate,%20and%20set%20it%20on%20a%20wax%20paper%20lined%20baking%20try.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20did%20not%20have%20time%20to%20wrap%20them%20in%20the%20cellophane%20bags%20and%20tie%20them%20with%20pretty%20ribbon.%20%20Why?%20Well,%20it%20was%201/2%20hour%20before%20the%20troops%20were%20due%20to%20arrive.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EKnow%20what?%20My%20guests%20and%20family%20didn't%20care.%20%20They%20saw%20them%20on%20a%20plate%20and%20loved%20them.%20As%20each%20person%20left%20for%20the%20night,%20I%20slipped%20a%20few%20into%20the%20cellophane%20bags%20and%20received%20hugs%20and%20gracious%20thanks.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EThat%20was%20good%20enough%20for%20me.%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EAs%20for%20the%20%22ugly%22%20fail%20batch%20of%20marshmallows...%20floating%20in%20a%20cup%20of%20hot%20chocolate,%20all%20melted%20and%20gooey,%20they%20are%20perfection!%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI%20have%20found%20my%20new%20signature%20Christmas%20gifts.%20Next%20Christmas,%20I'm%20going%20to%20set%20my%20expectations%20levels%20to%20be%20more%20realistic.%20I%20absolutely%20cannot%20work%20full-time%20until%20two%20days%20before%20Christmas%20and%20expect%20to%20be%20Martha%20Stewart.%20Not%20gonna%20happe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